Zhao Quan was also helpless with Zhao Yayuan.

Both sides were deadlocked, leading to the current situation.

So, early in the morning, when Lu Zhihong called to say he was willing to cancel, Zhao Quan was ecstatic and quickly sent Zhao Tingyuan to call Zhao Yayuan over.

Zhao Yayuan still couldn’t believe it and asked, “Who said this? Why did the Lu family suddenly change their minds?”

Zhao Quan said, “Lu Zhihong said it himself. You can ask his daughter if you don’t believe me. Anyway, regardless of our attitude, they finally stopped coming forward to propose.”

Zhao Yayuan had already opened the door and rushed out.

Lu Nian was still at Qiao Li’s place.

She had lost weight, her oval face looking even sharper, her shoulders thinner, and she was focused on drawing, rubbing her eyes without even noticing someone entering.

The porridge was still cooking in the pot, and she sat at the table, fully absorbed.

Qiao Li whispered, “She’s drawing drafts, saying she wants to earn more money and save time as much as possible.”

Lu Zhihong’s bank cards were temporarily frozen, and the medical expenses were not small.

Now, Lu Nian was using her own savings to pay for everything.

Zhao Yayuan couldn’t bear it anymore. “I have money here, you don’t have to do this.”

Qiao Li shook her head gently. “Xiao Ya, we’ve received too much help from you, and besides, your family…”

Remembering the harsh words Zhao Quan had said.

Zhao Yayuan fell silent.

After finishing the last stroke, Lu Nian looked up and saw Zhao Yayuan. “Yayuan, you’re here.”

Her voice wasn’t as weak as he had imagined.

It was stronger, even lively.

Zhao Yayuan remained silent for a long time.

From the birth of the young master Zhao until now, he had never experienced such a difficult moment.

Finally, he said, “Nian Nian, about our engagement, your father called this morning to my grandfather and he cancelled the engagement.”

Lu Nian was stunned. “Huh?”

She clearly didn’t know.

Zhao Yayuan said, “I don’t know what happened either.”

Lu Nian stood up anxiously. “I’m sorry, he didn’t tell me anything.”

She hurriedly called Lu Zhihong, but there was no answer.

Biting her lip, Lu Nian said, “I’m going to the hospital to ask him right now.”

She put on her coat.

Zhao Yayuan wanted to follow, but was stopped by Qiao Li, who shook her head gently.

Lu Nian rushed to the city center hospital, only to be told that Lu Zhihong had already been transferred to Xifeng Hospital.

That hospital had the best heart clinic in Ancheng City.

Even if you had the money, you couldn’t get an appointment there without connections.

Given the current situation of the Lu family, how could Lu Zhihong suddenly be transferred there?

Lu Nian felt even more uneasy.

How could she afford the medical expenses at Xifeng Hospital with her current financial situation?

She went to Xifeng Hospital and found out Lu Zhihong’s ward number.

Then she learned that his fees had already been paid, and she didn’t need to pay again.

Lu Nian was puzzled.

Following the address, she finally saw Lu Zhihong.

“Dad, what’s going on with what Yayuan just told me?” Lu Nian asked. “He said you suddenly disagreed with the engagement and want to cancel it?”

Lu Zhihong said, “…It’s canceled.”

“Zhao’s family also agreed,” Lu Zhihong said, “except for Zhao Yayuan, the rest of their family wasn’t willing.”

“Even if you get married later, you’ll still suffer at the Zhao family.”

Especially with Zhao Tingyuan leading, vehemently opposing.

They were all a bunch of opportunists.

Lu Zhihong wasn’t surprised either.

After all, frankly speaking, if the roles were reversed, he wouldn’t want it either.

After the buffer period yesterday, he suddenly felt that there were some advantages to Qin Si.

Apart from the face issue, the actual benefits were tangible.

“I haven’t told you about these things before,” Lu Zhihong said.

Lu Nian bit her lip. “Are you canceling because of this?”

She simply couldn’t believe that Lu Zhihong would give up the opportunity to marry into the Zhao family because he cared about her face and feelings.

Lu Zhihong remained silent.

“From now on, you can move out of the house,” Lu Zhihong said.

Lu Zhihong said, “Get along well with others and tone down your temper.”

Lu Nian’s face turned pale. “What are you talking about?”

“Our engagement with the Zhao family is canceled,” Lu Zhihong said clearly, “We’ve found a new partner.”

“He isn’t bad either,” Lu Zhihong said, “You even knew each other before.”

These words were too outrageous.

Lu Nian began to simultaneously doubt her ears and her mind.

The door was opened.

Lu Nian’s feet couldn’t move, as if nailed to the spot.

The young man who entered had a tall and slender figure, and his aura was cold and piercing, like an elegant orchid or jade tree.

It was him, the person she was both familiar with and yet a stranger to.

“Nian Nian,” Lu Zhihong said, “It works out well. Someone is coming to inspect our house soon, so you can stay at his place for a while.”

The doctor who came to check in spoke politely, “Sir, we need to conduct an examination. Family members should wait outside.”

Lu Nian’s mind was already a mess, as if she were a walking corpse, following him out of the ward.

He led her out and closed the ward door behind Lu Zhihong.

The young man pressed his lips together, “Afterwards, where do you want to stay?”

“I’ve already had the house on Qiufeng Road cleaned up,” Qin Si said, “There’s also a new place that’s closer to your school.”

Lu Nian digested this information.

She found herself unexpectedly calm, her large eyes looking at him serenely, “Anywhere is fine.”

After all, this was a hospital, a public place, discussing such matters here was inappropriate.

Qin Si apparently hadn’t expected her to react this way either.

He wasn’t accustomed to expressing his emotions and didn’t know what to say, so he remained silent as well.

The car drove smoothly to a villa area Lu Nian had never been to before.

He closed the door.

She asked calmly, “What did you tell my dad?”

Qin Si remained silent.

Lu Nian’s fingers tightened, her fingertips digging into her palms.

She didn’t want to believe this, but…

“Earlier, I heard Lu Yang talking about a major shareholder planning to withdraw their investment from the Lu Corporation. Is that shareholder you?”

There was no basis for this, but Lu Nian had a strange feeling, almost certain.

Qin Si said, “No.”

It really wasn’t him.

That shareholder was Qiu Fan.

To be precise, it was a decision he made.

Lu Nian said, “Then can you say it wasn’t your intention?”

She trembled with anger, “You used this to threaten my dad? To make him cancel the engagement?”

“All these years, you disappeared without a word, and now you come back like this?” she said, “What is this, taking advantage of the situation?”

She remembered in the original story, the final person in charge of the Lu Corporation was Qin Si, but it was for revenge.

This time, she originally thought that without the need for revenge, Qin Si would have no further ties with the Lu Corporation.

Who would have thought, after all the twists and turns, it still ended up like this.

And Lu Zhihong talking about changing the engagement.

Wasn’t it just to establish a nominal engagement with her, the eldest daughter of the Lu family?

Then he could rightfully take over the Lu Corporation?

Those inexplicable years of disappearance without a single explanation, suddenly coming back, then interfering with her engagement party, using company matters to threaten Lu Zhihong, forcing her to cancel the engagement.

She was a person, not a toy, to be manipulated at will.

She was thoroughly disappointed in Lu Zhihong.

Of course, even more disappointed in the man before her.

Back then, Qin Si left for a long time and never sent any news.

Lu Nian later thought a lot about it.

She had taken the initiative so many times, but Qin Si never responded.

How could she continue to shamelessly persist?

They had been childhood friends for so many years and had never been apart for that long.

At first, she missed him deeply, but then she regretted it.

She thought that maybe her previous impulsiveness had made him realize something, so he left completely and disappeared without a trace.

But what could she do? She could only tell herself to let go.

The girl’s thin shoulders trembled. “What do you really want?”

He didn’t explain further, rare for him, he didn’t retort, letting her vent her anger.

The young man in front of her was tall, with a narrow waist and long legs, and a straight back.

Compared to his teenage years, he now seemed more reliable and dependable.

Lu Nian sneered inwardly, looking at his handsome face.

Dependable?

She used to think that, but she realized she was a complete fool.

What difference was there between him and Lu Zhihong?

She coldly said, “Give up. I won’t marry you, and I won’t live with you.”

“I can earn my own money,” Lu Nian said stubbornly. “I have a place to stay outside, and I have my own family and friends.”

“I’ll go talk to Ya Yuan myself,” she said. “I’ve already agreed. As long as he doesn’t break his promise, I won’t break mine.”

“My father doesn’t represent me,” she said. “I’ll only marry someone I love. Whatever other motives you have, forget it.”

His face turned pale, his long, narrow phoenix eyes as black as ink, cold as a frozen lake.

“You love him that much?” he asked, his voice cold, “Just a few years, and your feelings are that cheap?”

Lu Nian was furious, and a string in her mind snapped completely.

A crisp “slap” sound echoed.

Lu Nian looked at her own hand, dumbfounded.

The room fell silent.

She became completely calm.

She figured they were about to completely break off.

Qin Si was such a proud person.

From childhood to now, she had never seen him lower his head to anyone, let alone something as humiliating as this.

The room was silent.

She hadn’t noticed that since they met this morning, Qin Si’s face had been particularly pale.

His thin lips had lost their color, with no trace of blood, and sweat was beading on his forehead.

He didn’t retaliate or move.

The atmosphere was excruciating.

Lu Nian hardened her heart, picked up her things, and prepared to leave completely.

The shadow on the floor moved.

The next moment, he stepped closer, reached out, and pulled her into his arms.

His stomach was in severe pain, his lips pressed tightly together, his face pale, with a faint red mark on one cheek where she had slapped him.

He whispered, “… Don’t go, please?”

A humble plea.

He was too jealous, which was why he said those things.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to come back; he had no choice.

He wasn’t like Zhao Yayuan, who was born standing at the top.

He had nothing, living like a stray dog, only able to stand in the mud and silently look up at her.

From childhood, anything he wanted, he had to fight for with his own hands.

Maybe his methods weren’t glamorous, but he was used to it.

Back then, he didn’t want to test Lu Nian’s feelings for him, to see if they were strong enough to overcome those obstacles.

He also didn’t want her to bear those pressures.

He could only take all ninety-nine steps, remove all obstacles, and come to her, then humbly reach out and ask for her response.

It was using these despicable and contemptible means that made others look down on him.

But he had done his best.

He hugged her.

The cold and sharp aura of the young man enveloped her, seemingly branding the familiar scent deeply into her memory, tightly wrapping around her.

During his youth, due to irregular eating habits and neglect, Qin Si had a stomach ailment, which Lu Nian knew about, and she had even seen him have an attack.

Looking at his current appearance, it seemed to have gotten worse over the years.

He held her.

However, due to the pain, he was much weaker than usual, his hands had no strength at all.

Lu Nian could easily push him away with a little force.

In her rage just now, Lu Nian didn’t notice anything wrong with him.

She hadn’t even had a chance to examine the room.

Even now, she just realized that the furnishings in the room were exactly the same as the one they lived in on Qiufeng Road.

Lu Nian couldn’t describe her current feelings.

She was naturally gentle and calm.

This was the first time in so many years that she had lost her temper so much, even when Lu Zhihong said he wanted to “sell” her to the Zhao family, her emotional fluctuations were not half as much as they were now.

No matter when, he seemed to be the one who could easily arouse her emotions.

He held her so loosely, not exerting much force, his black hair hanging down, his expression unclear.

He said, asking her not to go.

After venting her emotions, seeing his condition so poor, Lu Nian had calmed down.

She had him lie down on the sofa first, then ordered some medicine from the nearest pharmacy using her phone, and then went to the kitchen to boil some water.

When he recovered, would he start acting like a stranger again, saying those hurtful things?

Lu Nian thought calmly.

If he did, she was sure that she would never have anything to do with him again in her life.

Thinking like this, she sat next to him and suddenly realized that her hand had been held by him at some point.

“Let go,” she said.

He seemed to be asleep, not hearing her, as if unconsciously in his dream, he still held her hand.

His fingertips were very cold, the pressure was light, not holding tightly, but lingering, not letting her go.

Lu Nian said, “I’m going to get your medicine at the door, not leaving.”

“I know you’re not asleep,” she widened her eyes, “Stop pretending.”

The young man still had his eyes closed, his straight nose, long lashes casting a shadow on his eyelids.

But he quickly let go of her hand, silently, his face blushing all the way to his ears.